[00:00:00] Speaker A: I now can sing Since I've been redeemed I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock I faith in Christ my Redeemer King I'm on the everlasting, everlasting rock Then roll, roll, billows roll I'm on the everlasting rock of ages Roll, roll, billows roll I'm on the everlasting rock.
I know that my redeemer lives what joy the blessed assurance gives he lives he lives who once was dead he lives My everlasting head he lives and grants me daily breath he lives and I shall conquer death he lives My mansion to prepare he lives to bring me safely there he lives My glory to his name he lives My Savior still the same what joy the blessed assurance is I know that my redeemer
[00:01:48] Speaker B: lives
[00:01:52] Speaker C: welcome to the Voice of Hope. I'm your host, Anthony High. For the past several weeks, we've been walking through the Book of Revelation together.
Today, we're stepping out of that series for a special message ahead of Easter, which will be followed then by a short series from the Book of Acts.
Easter reminds us of the risen Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is not just a moment we celebrate once a year.
It's an event that changed everything.
It's the reason the church exists.
It's the reason there is hope in the early church. The life of the Apostle Paul clearly demonstrates the power of the risen Christ.
Before he wrote the letters to the Philippians, planted churches, or suffered for Christ, he was hunting Christians.
The Book of Acts tells us that he made havoc of the church.
He believed that he was defending God until he came face to face with the living, resurrected Jesus.
This Easter, as we reflect on the resurrection, we invite you to encounter the same risen Christ who stopped Paul in his tracks and changed the direction of his life forever.
Let's join our Bible teacher, Arlen Horst for this Easter message.
Seeing the righteous One.
[00:03:17] Speaker B: Have you seen the righteous one? No, I mean, have you really seen him? Here we are, a few days from Easter, and we will soon celebrate Christ's victory over death.
As Easter comes, we tend to slip into our routines and go through the motions, not thinking about what this really means for us. Let's take the time to reflect and see, I mean really see, the risen Christ.
Years ago, as a new electrician, I helped wire houses. We put in receptacles, lights and switches three ways and four ways where needed. I helped do lots of them and saw them done many times.
However, it took me a while till I saw and understood how three ways and four ways actually work.
For the first, while I saw it with my eyes and then I saw and understood what what each wire was doing.
I actually remember the house we were in where it all started to make sense. It was an aha moment. And if any of my co workers are listening, I apologize for being such a slow learner.
Later, when I was teaching, these aha moments were super encouraging.
I'd explain a problem over and over and eventually it clicks.
The student lights up and they get it.
So whether you're on the giving end or on the receiving end, it is fun to be involved in this aha moment.
And this is where I'd like to end up with seeing the righteous one. Not just a glance, but a aha moment where we behold the one who conquered death.
When Jesus walked the earth, there were lots of people who saw Him. The Bible also gives us many examples of people who saw Jesus.
Those who saw him were changed in deep places. For example, remember the centurion at the crucifixion? He boldly declared, truly, this man was the Son of God.
There were many who looked at Jesus that day.
But he saw something the others didn't see.
He saw Jesus. He saw the righteous one.
Have you and I seen him?
Think about another example from the crucifixion.
You remember Jesus was crucified between two thieves. One of them hurled insults at Jesus and was rebuked by the other thief. The second criminal saw Jesus.
He even asked Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
This criminal saw something the other one didn't see.
We know they both saw Jesus with their eyes. But the one who saw him had his heart engaged. And this is the challenge. Do you see Jesus? I know we know of him and have heard about Him. But are we seeing him with more than our eyes? In Acts 22, we have the story of another man who saw Jesus. We will read the first 16 verses. But before we go there, here is a little background to what is happening in Acts 22. Paul is telling the Jews what happened to him. Paul actually experienced this. This is not just a story. These are actual events Paul went through. And this is the same Jesus you and I are friends with. He is alive. His goal has not changed. His authority has not changed. And his love for the Church. His body is still the same.
Keep in mind this is Paul, author of half the New Testament. But don't forget the man. He was devout Jew persecuting the church.
Here he describes the turning point of his life.
This Jesus he met demands total allegiance and Paul submitted his life to him.
Seeing the Righteous One changed everything. For Paul, the question is, have you and I seen him?
In Acts 9, the actual event is recorded. Then later in Acts 22 and 26, we have the story as told by Paul.
In chapter nine, he got permission from the high priest to go to Damascus and put in prison any followers of the way. This was no small trip. It was a long way from Damascus to Jerusalem, almost 200 miles. He went to Damascus with authority and an entourage of men.
Then in chapter nine, verse 25, we see that he left the city at night in a basket over the wall.
What changed?
We know the story.
Paul changed. Paul met Jesus, and he was no longer the same man.
At the end of Acts 21, there is chaos. Jerusalem is in an uproar, and they are ready to kill Paul.
The soldiers come and arrest the one who is being beaten. Paul. This saves him from the mob. And you get the feeling the soldiers had dealt with this crowd before.
But Paul requests, and the commander gives him permission to address the angry mob.
Chapter 22 begins with Paul's speech to them. And I will read verses 1 to 16.
Notice the two questions Paul asked.
They will be the focus of our lesson. Here is the account in Paul's brethren and fathers, hear my defense before you now. And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent.
So the crowd went from chaotic to very quiet. Once Paul started talking. Then he said, I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our Father's law, and was zealous toward God, as you all are today. I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the Elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished.
Now it happened as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon. Suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
So I answered, who are you, Lord?
And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.
And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid. But they did not hear the voice of him who spoke to me. So I said, what shall I do, Lord?
And the Lord said to Me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.
And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me. And he stood and said to me, brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, the God of our fathers has chosen you. That you should know his will and see the Righteous One and hear the voice of his mouth, for you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins. Calling on the name of the Lord, Paul's two questions were, who are you, Lord? And what shall I do, Lord?
These questions were will be the main points for our lesson. Questions Paul never asked before. Yet now that he was seeing the righteous One, these are his questions.
As we know, Paul was a changed man after this. He never went back to the man he was. And this is the change that happens when we see the righteous One. Let's think about that. First question.
Who are you, Lord?
That's interesting.
Who are you, Master? Who are you, President?
The title he uses shows he has an inkling who this is. Paul was doing what he thought was right. He was obeying God. Yet he knew this presence in front of him was the true God.
Think about the huge shift needed in Paul's mind for him to switch sides to join those he was persecuting. This is big.
He isn't just seeing Jesus. Paul is seeing Jesus. And as we think about this question, notice these three observations.
First, Paul's actions were determined by his view of God.
We must realize the seriousness of what we worship. This is who we're becoming.
Paul was living exactly what his God wanted him to do.
Thankfully, the true God got his attention and redirected his path.
The thought that what we worship changes us is not new. Psalm 115 describes idols made by the hands of men. They have eyes but they can't see, ears but they can't hear, hands but can't feel, and other body parts that don't work.
Then verse eight says, those who make them become like them, and so do all who trust in them, showing that what we worship shapes us.
Here's a few other quotes from other authors expressing the same truth. Ralph Emerson says, what we are worshipping, we are becoming.
In other words, our deity shapes our identity. Greg Beale titled his book We Become what We Worship, and his thesis is what people revere, they resemble. AW Tozer has a few quotes regarding this principle. In this quote, he applies it to the church, saying, this effect is not only personal, but also corporate. He says, for this reason, the gravest question before the Church is always God himself.
And the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.
We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our mental image of God.
This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of Christians that compose the church.
Always the most revealing thing about the church is her idea of God. This principle of becoming what we worship is worth meditating on later. In 2 Corinthians, this same Paul writes, but we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord.
He's teaching us that as we behold God's glory, we are changed.
So have you seen him? Are you beholding his glory? If you are, it is changing you.
Our takeaway is, be very careful. What you worship shapes who you are. Paul was enthusiastically doing what he thought God wanted him to do. His actions were determined by his understanding of God. He didn't know God was going to reveal himself in and change his life forever. But thankfully God did.
The second observation from Paul's question is when we see God, we change. Paul clearly saw Jesus after this awesome sight. He was blind for three days.
Imagine how this sequence imprinted the last thing he saw on his mind. He could see nothing new until God used Ananias to restore his sight. And I am sure he thought about the last thing he saw over and over and over.
The question for us is how can we see God so clearly?
Thankfully, this is not limited to a select group of people. It's not just for rich people or smart people or a certain family.
Seeing God is an option for all of us.
However, many times the only hindrance to seeing him clearly is me. I'm the one who gets in the way.
Here are a few ways we can see God and get a clear view of Him.
One way, and possibly the best way, is by spending time in the Word. He has revealed lots to us in His Word. It is on us to read and meditate on what is written there. Do I take the time can I focus on are things still and quiet? There is room for growth for all of us in this area.
Another way we can see God is by spending time with others who have seen Him. This can happen in various ways. When I mentioned this, I'm guessing you thought of someone in your life who showed you what God is like. Maybe it was a teacher or an older person who shared with you in your youth. This is great. I am thankful for the influence of many godly people and may God help us to be this kind of person to those around us.
How about books?
Reading a book can be a great way to spend time with others who have seen God.
The good thing is books are not limited to a specific time or place. Through reading, our learning can span many time periods.
Songs are another way to see God. Who who hasn't felt the chills as the words of a song clearly teach us another aspect of who God is. This is awesome. And we thank God for those who are so talented that they can combine the right words and music to reveal God.
A third way I believe we see God better is to slow down.
So many people lead lives that are hectic and hurried. We hustle from one responsibility to the next, always on the go, constantly squeezing our schedules to make more space so we can add more things.
Living like this in the fast lane, we tend to miss God. Think about the time you had to walk instead of drive. I live in a city and it's incredible how much you see when you walk a couple blocks instead of driving. The last time I did this, I was blown away with the number of security cameras. They're everywhere. I'm sure my walk was well documented.
So get out of the fast lane. Take the time to look around. See God in the flowers. Notice the sunrise and the sunset.
See him in the small things. We can see so much when we slow down and look.
Three simple things we can do to see Spend time in his word. Spend time with those who know him or knew him, and slow down.
These are options for everyone, and often the only limiting factor is me. From Paul's example, we learn that when we see God, we change.
This brings us to our third and final observation from Paul's question, who are you, Lord?
It's this. When God doesn't make sense, move toward Him.
It seems that everyone can remember an event that rocked their understanding of God.
It's that crisis of faith when the God you thought you knew is not like the God who is.
These are times when we ask big questions about God.
Long periods of deep Soul searching during these trying times. May our response be similar to Paul's. Don't put up walls and hold God at arm's length. Draw near. Move toward him. Paul could have said, this is too much. What will others think of me? He could have stubbornly continued going the wrong way. He didn't. He obeyed what God told him to do next.
And we know there were many who thought he was crazy.
We also know the rest of his life was not easy. It was no walk in the park for Paul to follow Christ.
But he continually moved toward God. He clearly saw God and went all in.
No questions and no looking back.
He was all in with Jesus.
The challenge is clear when we see God and he doesn't line up with who we thought he is.
Draw near to God. Press into him.
Is there a situation where God didn't or isn't making sense? How will you respond?
There are only two options.
Please be like Paul and and move toward him.
Paul sees Jesus and his first question is, who are you, Lord? What a big question.
It is also a fitting question for us.
Who are you, Lord?
No, really, think about it. Who actually is he?
Jesus answers Paul's question.
I am Jesus, who you are persecuting.
Then Paul has a second big question.
Now let's think about this second question. What shall I do Lord?
In this moment, this is the only thing that matters to Paul.
Do you think he was worried about his house, his job or bank account? Absolutely not. He was laser focused on what Jesus wanted him to do.
The realization he was wrong is sinking in.
What should I do, Lord? Is an appropriate question.
First of all, this shows us he is no longer the boss. Instead of doing what he wanted to do, he is now asking his new master, the Lord earlier if something needed done. He went and did it. Like traveling to Damascus to torture these followers of Jesus.
But after meeting Jesus and seeing him, Paul knows he must submit to the authority of Jesus.
Later. Paul says it so well in his Letter to the Corinthians. He writes, do you not know you are not your own, for you were bought at a price?
This is the moment when Paul realizes he is no longer in charge. His life is not his.
May the same be said of us.
Since we have seen Jesus, we are no longer in charge. Every aspect of our lives are lived for Him.
We look to him for direction in all things. Like Paul, let's live every moment for our powerful Risen Savior.
Secondly, notice Paul's total submission. There was no what about or.
But what if I believe he was ready to do Anything. For Jesus, this submission is the natural outcome of actually seeing the righteous one. Remember Isaiah in Isaiah 6, he saw the throne of God and the majestic beings around the throne. God asked, who will go for us in this awesome presence? Isaiah's response is similar to Paul's. Here I am. Send me. No pause, no questions. Just plain simple submission to absolute power and authority. Like Paul, Isaiah and others, we will have the same response when we see him. The question is, have you seen him? Have you seen the righteous one?
Now notice how Jesus responded to Paul's question.
Jesus tells Paul to go into the city and he will be told what to do next. What is that all? Nothing more specific. By who? How long should he wait?
Paul obeyed. He went into Damascus and waited three days.
God brought Ananias to Paul. This was no small feat. Through Ananias, God instructed Paul in his next steps. Jesus could have easily told Paul what to do.
Why did Ananias need to come and say, Seems like Jesus wanted Paul to know the importance of the body.
Jesus connected Paul with to others who knew him. After all, Jesus knows our tendencies. And if it's just me by myself, things go sideways real quick.
Later in acts we see stress as a result of this body when some of them don't get along.
Despite its challenges, God wants every one of his children in a body of believers. Many of us know and have experienced how difficult it can be working together with other brothers in Christ.
We press on and do it because we know the church is needed. This is Christ's body. And he told us this is how all men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
It is incredible to me that right here at the beginning of Paul's journey, Jesus is teaching him this principle driving home the importance of other believers.
When you stop and think about Paul's second question, what shall I do Lord? It shows Paul understood he was no longer his own boss. He was totally submitted to Jesus. And Jesus answer shows the need for Paul to be connected to other believers. When we behold our resurrected Savior, he will also lead us on a path that is similar to Paul's. As we know, this event changed the trajectory of Paul's life. If there ever was a big aha moment, this was it. It totally changed him and it started with him seeing Jesus. His two questions were big questions and they still are.
First was who are you Lord?
And we had three observations from this question. Paul's actions were determined by his view of God.
When we see God, we change. And when God doesn't make sense move toward him. His second question was, what shall I do, Lord? And we see Paul understanding he was no longer his own boss. He became totally submitted to Jesus. Then Jesus shows him the need to be connected to other believers.
Both of these questions came out of his encounter with Jesus.
Seeing the righteous one changed everything for Paul. And as we celebrate Easter this year, I leave you with this have you seen him?
[00:26:19] Speaker C: Thank you, Arlen. Easter declares that Jesus is alive, and the Damascus Road proves that the risen Christ is not just passive. He pursues, he confronts, and he transforms.
Paul's life was completely reversed because he saw the righteous one clearly.
The persecutor became the preacher. The rebel bowed an allegiance.
Everything changed when he realized that the Jesus he opposed was the living Lord.
And that same risen Christ still meets people like you and I today.
The two questions that Paul asks still echo who are you, Lord?
And what shall I do, Lord? If you've been encouraged by this Easter episode, we invite you to listen to more of our bible
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[00:28:18] Speaker A: Here is my mansion to prepare.
He lives to bring me safely there he lives all glory to his name he lives my Savior still the same what joy the blest assurance is I know that my Redeemer lives.
